| This study addressed three purposes: (1) to determine the decision circumstances under which evaluation data play a significant role in decision making, (2) to assess the degree of utilization of various evaluation activities performed at community mental health centers (CMHCs), and (3) to determine whether there are decision making styles associated with use of evaluation. Directors from 139 CMHCs in nineteen states responded to questionnaires pertaining to utilization of evaluation and decision making at their centers.; Repondents were asked to select a specific decision case example and to rate aspects of the decision problem, environment and process. Eight variables describing the decision problem and environment were derived from the Beach and Mitchell Model for Selection of Decision Strategies (1978). Respondents also rated the significance of the role of evaluation in the decision process. The model variables explained 20% of the variance in significance of evaluation. The variables exhibiting the strongest relationships were the complexity of the decision problem, which was positively related to significance of evaluation, and constraints on the decision environment, which was negatively related to the criterion.; The respondents also rated their centers' utilization of 38 types of evaluation data. Overall, the evaluation data were utilized to a minimal to moderate degree. Systems resource management, need assessment and client utilization data were used to a significantly greater degree than outcome of intervention and community impact data.; Seven decision style scales were formulated from a factor analysis performed on the decision making style questionnaire. The seven scales, as a group, accounted for 23% of the variance in utilization of evaluation. The scale demonstrating the strongest relationship with the criterion was "Advanced Planning/Crisis Management."; To assess the relative contribution of decision situation variables versus decision style variables on significance of evaluation in the case examples, the decision-style scales were included in the prediction equation with the model (situation) variables. The situation variables explained considerably more variance (15%) than did the style variables (7%). However, another set of variables, characteristics of the evaluation data (e.g. relevance and quality), accounted for as much variance (15%) as did the situation variables. |
